Archive for the ‘Green’ Category

There are many benefits to owning or hosting a charging station, which depend on your site characteristics as well as your goals and values. For example, a retail business may host a charging station to increase customer visits and revenue, whereas a municipality may host a station for the public health benefits associated with increased EV use.

Each benefit in the following list is – or may become – available to one or more types of station host:

1) Customer Attraction and Retention, Corporate Branding:
Offering charging is a direct way to attract and retain new, EV-driving customers. In addition, many consumers believe it is important to purchase products with environmental benefits and to frequent environmentally responsible companies. Hosting a charging station is a highly visible way to state your organization’s environmental values, which may help contribute to a “green” image that attracts and retains customers who share these values.

2) User Charging and Parking Fees:
Charging-station hosts have the opportunity to generate revenue directly from people who use their services. Although the selling of electricity by non-utility organizations may be prohibited, there are various ways to collect revenue for charging, such as subscription-based, pay-per-charge, and pay for-parking systems. Using these types of systems typically requires installation of advanced EV charging products available at SRP Electric.

3) Employee Attraction and Retention:
Companies that offer charging may be able to attract and retain employees who want to charge EVs during the day. In addition, it is very important to many employees – even those who don’t drive EVs – that their employers are proactive with transportation planning.

4) Fleet Cost Savings:
An organization may want to serve its own fleet with charging stations in addition to serving the public. An EV fleet can realize substantial operating cost savings — contact SRP Electric for firm figures on this.

5) Advertising Opportunities:
Each time an EV driver visits a charging station is an opportunity to advertise to that driver. A station host could advertise its own products or services in this way or sell advertising space to another organization.

As we can see the opportunities go on — contact SRP Electric for more insights on these points and how they best suit your specific situation or business.

Contact SRP Eletric for a complete site assessment and a no obligation quick quote today!

“The SRP Electric sponsored GreenUp Expo was very successful — and I’d like to thank all that made it a tremendous success” Rick Yates.

This past Saturday Oct. 19 Lansdowne place Mall looked like a Hollywood premiere with the SRP Electric’s EVolution Drive. We had two Tesla Model S’, a Tesla Roadster, a Power Tran all electric utility van, and two Mitsubishi MiEVs onsite and were all available for test drives and rides.

Inside the mall, our booth displayed the best in green products available in the Peterborough and Kawartha areas. SRP Electric showcased its roster of products which include installing Electric Vehicle Charging stations, providing and installing Triacta® Energy Management products/software, and Energy Saving products.

Draw To Win iPad Mini Feedback

Make sure to enter our draw to win the iPad Mini®. We had lots of entries at Saturday’s GreenUp Expo, and the only way you can win is if you enter today! The contest remains open till December 31st, and you can sign up online by clicking HERE. Make sure to read the Contest Details.

BONUS: You may also be the lucky winner of a free lunch with Rick Yates when you sign up for our e-newsletter. But don’t wait — business owners can call Rick directly at 705-760-3270 to arrange a lunch meeting — on us.

SRP Electric is proud to announce the title sponsorship of Central Ontario’s most celebrated showcase of companies and service providers focused on sustainable economy. In it’s 10th year the GreenUP Expo highlights the best in green products and services to consumers. This is a tremendous opportunity to market green options to thousands of eco-conscious consumers and the opportunity to learn what green products and services are available.

SRP Electric EVolution Drive at the 2013 Green Up Expois a partnership with others in our community who are also committed to providing green solutions. This year we’re offering the opportunity to test drive a variety of Electric Vehicles and learn more about the practicalities and myths of owning a green vehicle.

Please be sure to mark Saturday, October 19th in your calendar and join us at Landsdowne Place for an opportunity to learn about Electric Vehicles and other ways to become more energy efficient at home and at work.

Electric Vehicles Available For Free Test Rides (Check back For More)

1) Motor Trend Car of the Year and Consumer Reports Magazine #1 Rated Car of All Time the Tesla Model S:

Rick Yates conducted a test drive with the Tesla model S at our facility here in Peterborough, and gave it a big thumps up–which effectively OKs its presence at the EVolution Drive for FREE Test rides. To be automatically entered for a chance to win the limited spots available to test rides the Tesla S–please visit the SRP Electric Contact page by clicking HERE.

Choose one of these two options to enter the draw:
1) Send in a request and choose EVolution Drive in the drop down list as inquiry of choice–also indicate if there is an EV you’d like to test drive at this event.
2) Subscribe to our mail list or recommend it to a friend–if already subscribed then you have been automatically entered into the draw.
– Another great gift to win in this draw is the iPAD MINI (see below) when you subscribe to our mailing list. See contest details on the subscribe page.

Rick Yates has again successfully arranged to have the Mitsubishi i-Miev available for display and–even better–free test drives. Come and get what it feels like to drive this sleek beauty of an electric vehicle!What You’ll Find At The SRP Eletric Booth During The Expo:

1) A selection of Electric Vehicles for test drives.
2) A collection of our ‘green’ products on display–including our partners products.
3) Helpful and knowledgeable staff to guide you through the products and answer all your questions.
4) Electric Vehicle Charger demos will be available.
5) Resourceful packages to take home with helpful literature on all products that can help your business become more sustainable.

Sign-Up For Our Newsletter And Be Entered To Win A Free ipad Mini

Win a FREE iPad Mini® or a free lunch with Rick Yates when you sign up for our e-newsletter.

SRP Electric’s team combines a diverse background and years of experience with green solutions and workmanship in order to deliver prompt, efficient and professional service to its clients.

SRP Electric is Central Ontario’s choice for electrical contracting with over 20 years of exceptional customer service and has partnered with Sun Country Highway. This partnership aims to facilitate, and rapidly accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and lower carbon emissions in the transportation sector here in Peterborough. This partnership also brings with it competitively priced advanced technology products to help drive sustainable revenues for local businesses.

Local Businesses in the Peterborough and the Kawartha Lake areas looking to embrace the green initiatives sweeping Ontario today are invited to get on board. We are ready and rolling out programs to begin helping local businesses generate clients, and give their business a ‘green’ image at the same time. The number of electric vehicle owners in Ontario is rapidly growing and we have joined Sun Country’s goal to put over 1,000 chargers on-line by the end of this year.

Because charging costs so little, we have decided to focus on the fast Level II – 90Amp chargers that work best at hotels, malls, coffee shops, dealerships and various other places where people tend to stop for ½ hr or more and many of these places may offer the EV charging for FREE.

Many treat EV charging like FREE WiFi. They want your business, so they will give you free EV charging! EV owners tend to be above income earners, are well educated and loyal customers – thus a perfect demographic to cater too!

Aren’t most companies selling 30-40Amp chargers? So why are we focusing more on the 90Amp chargers?

To ‘future-proof’ our network! Our partnership with Sun Country Highway which is the only company offering high speed Level II charging means faster charging and lower time spent on a single charging station in Peterborough and surroundings. Also, our vision is that more and more cars inevitably will come equipped with faster battery – energy acceptance rates (like the Teslas and the forthcoming VTrux and Toyota Rav 4), we can help reduce the charging bottleneck, and get people on their way faster. By the way, there are currently 9 EV models in the marketplace that you or I could go out and purchase today and within 12-16 months that number will mushroom to over two dozen – most or all with these with new faster battery energy acceptance rates.

So that’s all well and good that you can save a lot of money by driving an EV and everybody knows EVs are great for the planet, but here is what is even cooler!

Did you know that 80-90% of EV charging is actually done at home or at work! So if you buy an EV next week, you will want to hire an electrician to install a charger at your home and maybe at your place of work as well. This means jobs for local electricians in Peterborough and the Kawarthas — creating a small economic infrastructure stimulus project!

Most auto manufacturers warranty the battery for 8 years and there are even extended warranties available too.

Because the battery pack is under warranty for 8 years you aren’t likely going to be buying a new battery pack any time soon. Let’s pick a number though, say $15,000 to buy a new battery at current prices, and let’s say in the 9th year, you have to replace the battery. We know 3 things about lithium-ion and other evolving batteries types. Eight years down the road they will be;

i) lighter weight,

ii) have much greater power density,

iii) less expensive.

With the way battery technology is evolving, chances are very good that you will be able to get a battery for 1/3 the present cost and quite likely it will provide triple or greater range and your vehicle will be lighter weight, all providing further opportunities for savings.

Battery Acceptance / Receptivity Rates

Note to EV owners and soon-to-be owners: Your Vehicle Acceptance Rate will determine what type of EV charging station you will choose to install at your home or business. Depending on your vehicle’s needs, some stations will be ‘overkill’ and make no difference in the time it takes to charge your vehicle (note the yellow highlights in the chart below). Other charging stations won’t be enough to charge overnight. SRP Electric will be pleased to assist you in this regard!

Battery Acceptance Examples

A) A Toyota Rav4 EV charging with an LCS-25 charging station with 240V:
Check the Vehicle Acceptance Rate versus the Charging Station Delivery Rate for the LCS-25. Which is lower? That will be your limiting factor. Vehicle Acceptance Rate of the Toyota Rav4 EV is 9.6 kW. The LCS-25 Delivery Rate is 4.8 kW. Use 4.8 kW because it is the lower of the two numbers (this is the maximum power the charging station can deliver to the vehicle).
Divide the battery capacity by the lower number from above. Divide 41.8 kWh by 4.8 kW from above. The result is 8.71 hours to recharge the battery pack from empty to full.

B) A Toyota Rav4 EV and a CS-50 charging station with 240V:
Check the Vehicle Acceptance Rate versus the Charging Station Delivery Rate for the CS-50. Which is lower? That will be your limiting factor. Vehicle Acceptance Rate of the Toyota Rav4 is 9.6 kW. The CS-50 Delivery Rate is 9.6 kW. Use 9.6 kW because both are the same (it is both the maximum the vehicle will draw and the maximum power the charging station is capable of delivering).
Divide the battery capacity by the lowest number from above. Divide 41.8 kWh by 9.6 kW from above. The result is 4.35 hours from empty to full.

The Ontario government launched its Electric Vehicle Incentive Program in 2009 with the aim of insuring electric cars will represent one out of every 20 cars on the road by 2020.

The program offers buyers or leasers of new electric cars varied incentives. As of July 1st, 2010, Ontario drivers are eligible to receive $5,000 to $8,500 toward their next purchase or lease of a new plug-in hybrid electric or battery electric vehicle.

The value of the incentive is based on the vehicle’s battery capacity, which ranges from $5,000 for a 4kWh battery to $8,500 for a 17kWh battery. In order to be eligible for the incentive, personal electric vehicles must be registered and plated in Ontario for a minimum of 12 months.

More information can be found by visiting the Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Ontario individuals, businesses, and organizations that purchase or lease a new plug-in hybrid electric or battery electric vehicle after July 1, 2010 may be eligible for a rebate between $5,000 and $8,500.

The EV incentive program is open to persons, businesses, municipalities, non-government organizations and non-profit groups. Applicants can receive incentives for no more than five vehicles per calendar year.

Leased vehicles are eligible for an incentive depending on the term of the lease and whether the vehicle is used for personal or fleet purposes. To qualify for the full value of the incentive, a minimum 36-month lease term is required. If vehicles do not meet the specified term requirements, the incentive payment must be repaid in full.

To qualify for the incentive, EVs for personal use must be registered and plated in Ontario for a minimum of 12 months. Fleet vehicles must be registered and plated in Ontario for a minimum of 36 months to qualify for the program.

Eligible electric vehicles purchased in another jurisdiction can qualify for the incentive only if the registration of the vehicle in Ontario is the first time the vehicle has been registered in any jurisdiction. Vehicles that have been registered in other jurisdictions prior to Ontario do not qualify for the incentive.

If vehicles do not meet the residency requirements for the specified term, the incentive payment must be repaid in full.

There are two ways to receive the incentive. The automobile dealer can apply the incentive at the point-of-sale and then submit the incentive application on your behalf. Alternatively, you can purchase the vehicle at full price and apply directly for the incentive by completing the application form and submitting it to the Ontario Ministry of Revenue.

The incentive is applied to the after tax value of the vehicle. In the case of a leased vehicle, the monthly principle amount will reflect the reduced cost of the vehicle.

Most auto manufacturers warranty the battery for 8 years and there are even extended warranties available too.

Because the battery pack is under warranty for 8 years you aren’t likely going to be buying a new battery pack any time soon. Let’s pick a number though, say $15,000 to buy a new battery at current prices, and let’s say in the 9th year, you have to replace the battery. We know 3 things about lithium-ion and other evolving batteries types. Eight years down the road they will be;

i) lighter weight,

ii) have much greater power density,

iii) less expensive.

With the way battery technology is evolving, chances are very good that you will be able to get a battery for 1/3 the present cost and quite likely it will provide triple or greater range and your vehicle will be lighter weight, all providing further opportunities for savings.

Battery Acceptance / Receptivity Rates

Note to EV owners and soon-to-be owners: Your Vehicle Acceptance Rate will determine what type of EV charging station you will choose to install at your home or business. Depending on your vehicle’s needs, some stations will be ‘overkill’ and make no difference in the time it takes to charge your vehicle (note the yellow highlights in the chart below). Other charging stations won’t be enough to charge overnight. SRP Electric will be pleased to assist you in this regard!

Battery Acceptance Examples

A) A Toyota Rav4 EV charging with an LCS-25 charging station with 240V:

Check the Vehicle Acceptance Rate versus the Charging Station Delivery Rate for the LCS-25. Which is lower? That will be your limiting factor. Vehicle Acceptance Rate of the Toyota Rav4 EV is 9.6 kW. The LCS-25 Delivery Rate is 4.8 kW. Use 4.8 kW because it is the lower of the two numbers (this is the maximum power the charging station can deliver to the vehicle).
Divide the battery capacity by the lower number from above. Divide 41.8 kWh by 4.8 kW from above. The result is 8.71 hours to recharge the battery pack from empty to full.

B) A Toyota Rav4 EV and a CS-50 charging station with 240V:
Check the Vehicle Acceptance Rate versus the Charging Station Delivery Rate for the CS-50. Which is lower? That will be your limiting factor. Vehicle Acceptance Rate of the Toyota Rav4 is 9.6 kW. The CS-50 Delivery Rate is 9.6 kW. Use 9.6 kW because both are the same (it is both the maximum the vehicle will draw and the maximum power the charging station is capable of delivering).
Divide the battery capacity by the lowest number from above. Divide 41.8 kWh by 9.6 kW from above. The result is 4.35 hours from empty to full.

The length of time required to charge an electric vehicle depends on the voltage of the outlet or charging point used as well as the size of the vehicle itself. A smaller car can be plugged into a standard 120-volt household outlet, but may take up to 12 hours to charge. A larger vehicle may require an outlet up to 220 volts.

Conversely, if an electric vehicle is plugged into a home or public charging station, it may require as few as two hours to charge the battery completely.

So how long does an EV take to charge up an EV?

There are 3 levels of charging – Level 1, Level 2 and level 3.

Level 1 – Using the 15 amp — 110V household plug:

– Chevy Volt takes about 12.1 Hrs to charge

– Nissan Leaf takes about 18.2 Hrs to charge

– Ford Focus EV takes about 17.4 Hrs to charge

– and the Mitsubishi takes about 12.1 Hrs to charge

Level 2 – Using the >25 amp — 240V delivery rate:

– Chevy Volt takes about 3.3 Hrs to charge

– Nissan Leaf takes about 5.0 Hrs to charge

– Ford Focus EV takes about 4.8 Hrs to charge

– and the Mitsubishi takes about 3.3 Hrs to charge

The fastest charging is Level 3 or ‘DC Fast Charging’:

This will charge a battery up to 80% in only 25-45 minutes. Soon, you will see many more of these chargers along the 401 and other routes across Canada to compliment our high speed level 2 chargers. However, costs are substantial – these units range between $25,000 and over $100,000.

Why 90 amp Charging Makes Sense:

All this said, what we need to note is that 80-90% of Charging is done at home or at work and at night. So every day when you get home from work, school, shopping etc, you plug in. The next morning – Voila! You have a full charge and are ready to go. Now you can’t have a gas station at your home, the government won’t let you, but you can have an electric vehicle charging station at home!
In Canada, almost 90% of the population travels less than 60 km per day on their return trip to work. So you never really have to worry about running out of electricity.

Distance is very important. But you will agree that even conventional cars have limited range too. The only difference which is an added advantage is the abundance of gas stations at specific distances to fuel up.

Data indicate that 80 percent of normal drivers drive less than 60 km a day, which means that charging every night (or every few nights), will get us to work and back with a few errands in between (reference). So for distances above say 100 Km to -– we need some sort of charging infrastructure.

The cruising range of an electric vehicle depends on a variety of factors, including the size of the battery, the model of the car, the road conditions, as well as the way the vehicle is driven.

Poor weather, either extreme heat or cold, can cause battery performance to decrease, resulting in less mileage. Similarly, internal climate control mechanisms such as heating and air conditioning can drain the battery significantly and reduce the distance the car is able to travel between charges.

However, these factors aside, average family-car size vehicles typically range about 100 km per charge.

Back to the question on how far do EV’s go on a charge?

The Ford Focus EV and the Nissan Leaf with bigger battery packs travel up to about 24KM on a single charge, while the Chevy Volt and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV travel lower KMs at 16KM due to smaller battery packs. The Tesla Roadster goes up to 380 kms on a charge while the Tesla Model S Motor Trend Car of the Year goes up to 480 kms. So on the Model S seven seater sedan, you can drive as far as from Toronto to Ottawa on a single charge. Plus it does 0-100 kms/hr in 3.9 seconds! Now a Chevy Volt has a total combined electric and gas range of over 550 kms so there are vehicles for almost every scenario and getting better every day.

Sun Country Highway’s Via Motors / VTrux units however use Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) technology -somewhat similar to a Chevy Volt. These vehicles get 60-65 kms of range in pure electric mode before the on board gas engine and generator kick in to replenish the battery pack and give you a combined electric and gas powered range of ~650 kms. And the best part is you get up to 100 mpg or 1.5lt/100 kms fuel economy.

The important thing to think about is to purchase a vehicle that satisfies 98% of your driving needs. Many people say “but when I want to drive from Toronto to Quebec City what do I do, an EV can’t go that far”? True, a pure electric car may not be practical for very long trips, but how often does the average person take such trips, one, two or maybe three times per year? Within a year, one will be able to find Fast level II or Level III DC Quick Chargers almost everywhere!